Shank button feeder ejection means



July 3, 1962 o. HALBREICH SHANK BUTTON FEEDER EJECTION MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1960 I II'IIII II IJIIEEIIII llllul .I

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' SHANK BUTTON FEEDER EJECTION MEANS Filed Jan. 11, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W: I M/ M fy- 10 /6 f 7 43 l Z; \f

mama II United States Patent 3,042,255 SHANK BUTTON FEEDER ELECTION MEANS Oscar Halbreich, Forest Hills, N.Y., assignor to Kern Button Corporation, Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 1,731 2 Claims. (Cl. 221-186) This invention relates generally to the field of sewing machines, and more particularly to an improved button ejection means adapted for use in conjunction with a shank button feeder of the general type disclosed in my prior Patent Number 2,843,069, granted July 15, 1958.

Devices of this type are normally employed in conjunction with button sewing machines of either oscillating bed or oscillating needles types, the former being disclosed in US. latent Number 777,564, granted to J. J. Sullivan, December 13, 1904. In devices of this type, a button feeding chute is associated with the button sewing machine in such manner that the upper end thereof is connected to a hopper which continuously feeds buttons to the chute in oriented fashion, and the lower end is positioned between the head of the machine and the bed thereof to lie in the path of the sewing needle. The lower end of the chute replaces the conventional presser foot of the sewing machine, and is reciprocated in a substantially vertical plane with each sewing operation to permit cloth to be moved from beneath the lower end of the chute, at which time the means holding the button just sewn to the goods releases the button so that the same may be moved outwardly of the chute, and another button fed to sewing position.

It is usual in the case of shank buttons, to manufacture the same with a standard sized shank, irrespective of the outer diameter of the exposed portion of the button, and consequently it is possible to use devices of the type disclosed in my abovementioned Patent Number 2,843,069 over a wide range of shank button sizes, from as small as 14 lignes to as large as 45 lignes. Unfortunately, as the button size increases, the tendency for the buttons to overlap each other within the chute becomes greater, and in the larger button sizes, the resilient means employed in the prior art has proven inadequate.

It is therefore among the objects of the present invention to provide an improved ejection means suitable for use in conjunction with shank button feeders which will positively eject successive buttons with each raising of the lower end of the chute at the completion of a sewing cycle.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of improved button ejecting means which may be conveniently manually adjusted for operation with different sizes of shank buttons, the adjustment varying the length of stroke of the ejection means to correspond to the normal distance between the shanks of adjacent buttons disposed within the button feeding chute.

Still another object of the invention lies in the provision of improved ejection means which may be incorporated into existing shankbutton feeders of the type described without extensive modification.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of an adjustable button ejection means which may be cam operated by the raising and lowering of the lower end of the chute, so that additional prime mover means is unnecessary.

A feature of the invention lies in the ready accessibility of the improved construction for rapid servicing and repair.

These objects and features, as Well as other incidental ends and advantages, will more fully appear in the progress of the following disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, to which reference will be made in 4 the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective of an embodiment of the invention in installed condition upon a shank button feeder.

FIGURE 2 is a similar fragmentary view in perspective showing certain of the component parts in altered relative position.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view corresponding to that seen in FIGURE 2, with certain of the parts removed for purposes of clarity.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary rear elevational view showing the adjustable cam means which comprises a part of the embodiment.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan, as seen from the plane 5-5 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan, corresponding to that seen in FIGURE 5, but showing the start of a return stroke.

FIGURE 7 is a similar fragmentary bottom plan showing the completion of a return stroke.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view corresponding to the lower portion of FIGURE 1, with certain structural components removed for the purposes of clarity.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary perspective view generally corresponding to FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view as seen from the plane 10-10 in FIGURE 9.

FIGURE l l is an enlarged vertical sectional view as seen from the plane 11-11 in FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary elevational view as might be seen from the rear of FIGURE 1, with certain parts removed for purposes of clarity.

In accordance with the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character 10 is shown in FIGURES l and 2 in installed condition upon a shank button feeder, generally indicated by reference character 11, and a button sewing machine, generally indicated by reference character =12. The shank button feeder 1 1 is of the general construction disclosed in Patent Number 2,843,069, including a button chute element 13 comprising track forming means 14 defining an elongated slot 15 in which the shank portion 16 of buttons 17' are supported. The lower portion 18 of the button chute is generally horizontally disposed and is provided with button positioning means 19 cooperating with button holding means 20, operated upon the raising and lowering of the lower portion 18 by the presser foot support 21.

The device 10 comprises broadly: a support means 24, a lover element 25, an adjustable cam element 26, a motion transmitting element 27, and a button engagement element 28.

The support means 24 includes a shaped bracket 30 having screw means 31 for securing the lower portion thereof to the button chute 13. The bracket 30 is provided with a horizontally disposed bore 32 through which a pintle 34 extends.

The lever element 25 is best seen in FIGURE 3, and includes a mounting portion 37 having a bore 38 engageable with the pintle 34, a cam follower portion 39 having a cam follower edge 46 thereon, as well as a motion transmitting portion 41, the outer end 42 of which is provided with an elongated slot 43 which overlies the horizontal portion 44 of the slot 15.

The adjustable cam element 26 is selectively fixed with respect to the sewing machine head 12 and includes a bracket member 47 secured to the head by screw means 48 at one end 49 thereof. The other end 50 is of plate- 3 like configuration, and includes a bore 51 through which a horizontally disposed shaft 52 extends. The inner end of the shaft 52 is provided with a pinion 53, the outer end having mounted thereon a calibrated knob 54-. The plate 50 includes a horizontally disposed groove 55 (see FIG- URE 4) which supports a rack member 56, the teeth 57 of which engage the pinion 53. A pin-shaped cam 58 mounted upon the rack member 56 extends through the slot 54', there being locking means 60 to fix the adjusted position of the rack member 56 within the groove 55. From a consideration of FIGURES 3 and 4, it will be apparent that rotation of the knob 54 to desired position will result in shifting the position of the cam 58 to bear upon different portions of the cam follower edge 40, and as the distance between the cam and the axis of the pintle 34 is thereby varied, the angular displacement of the lever element 25 will be correspondingly altered during movement of the lower end of the chute 13.

The motion transmitting element 27 serves to transmit only the horizontal component of the angular motion exhibited by the lever element 25, and includes a block 63 having pin means 64 extending through the slot 43, there being an enlargement 65 on the outer end of the pin 64 to prevent disengagement. The block 63 also includes a laterally extending member 66 having a rounded terminal 67 best seen in FIGURE 8 in the drawing.

The button engaging element 28 includes a track member 70 fixed upon the lower portion of the chute 13 and having a rectilinear groove 71 therein which guides a second block 72. The block 72 is provided with a socket or recess 73 in which the block 63 is slidably disposed for limited movement. A slot 74 communicates with the socket 73 through which the member 66 laterally extends. Extending horizontally from the block 72 is a pintle 75 which pivotally supports a button engaging member 76. The button engaging member 76 may be formed as a stamping, and includes a rectangularly shaped opening 77 in which the rounded terminal 67 is relatively rotationally positioned. A pair of inwardly disposed surfaces 78 and 79 are angularly disposed with respect to each other, and provide clearance between the button engaging member 76 and a surface of the track forming means 14. An elongated tongue portion 31 extends parallel to the path of travel of buttons disposed in the lower portion '18 of the chute 13, and includes an angularly disposed terminal portion 82 which extends selectively into the path of the shank portions 16.

Operation of the device is as follows: Depending upon the size of shank button employed, the knob 54 is adjusted to position the cam 58 for proper angular displacement of the lever element 25, following which the position may be locked by tightening the means 60. With the completion of each sewing cycle, the lifting of the lower end of the chute 13 causes motion to be transmitted from the cam 58 to the lever element 25, wherein the end 42 moves leftwardly as seen in FIGURE 1. This motion is transmitted through the block 63 which moves relative to the block 72 causing the button engaging member 76 to pivot counterclockwise to bring the terminal 82 into the path of the button shanks. In this position, the block 63 has reached the leftwardmost limit of its path of travel with respect to the block 72, and thus transmits subsequent motion directly to the block 72. As the engaging member 76 is pivotally mounted by pintle 75 on the block 72, contact of the block 63 with the block 72 prevents further pivotal motion of the member 76, the parts being so con figured that terminal 82 will be accurately positioned at the completion of pivotal motion of the member 76. As the blocks 63 and 72 move together leftwardly to the position shown in FIGURE in the drawings, the buttons disposed leftwardly of the terminal 82 are also moved leftwardly a distance equivalent to the distance between adjacent shanks disposed in the element 28. In this position, shown in FIGURE 5, the chute element 13 has been lifted to its upwardmost position, and the button engaging member 76 has completed its leftward stroke, thereby ejecting a button which has been sewn, and transmitting motion to reposition a following button in sewing position.

As the chute 13 is lowered to the position shown in FIGURE 2, a spring 83 returns the lever element 25 to its initial condition, wherein the transmitted motion results first in rightward movement of the block 63 with respect to the block 72 and a pivoting of the button engaging member 76 clockwise as seen in FIGURE 6 to clear the path of successive button shanks. With this movement, the block 63 reaches the rightwardmost limit of travel with respect to the block 72, and further movement is transmitted to the block 72 to result in rightward movement of the button engaging member 76. When this movement has reached the point indicated in FIG- URE 7, a subsequent raising of the chute 13 will result in a repetition of the above described cycle.

I Wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

I claim:

1. In a shank button feeder, including an elongated button feeding chute element and means for raising and lowering the inner end of said chute element, the improvement comprising: means for positively singly ejecting successive buttons from the lower end of said chute element upon the raising of said lower end of said chute element, said means including adjustably fixed cam means, lever means pivotally mounted upon said chute element, said lever means including a first portion contacting said cam means and a second portion having an elongated slot therein, said chute element having guiding track means thereon, a first block supported by said guiding track for movement substantially parallel to the line of movement of said buttons, said block having a recess therein, a second block disposed Within said recess in said first block and being slidable with respect thereto to a limited degree, means connecting said second block with said slot in said lever means, said second block having means extending outwardly of said first block, a button-engaging member pivotally mounted on said first block and selectively insertable into the path of buttons in said chute element, said outwardly extending means being engageable with said button-engaging means for imparting pivotal motion thereto.

2. In a shank button feeding device, including a button feeding chute element and means for raising and lowering the lower end of said chute element, improved button ejecting means comprising: a lever element pivotally associated with said chute element, relatively fixed cam means engageable with a first portion of said lever element so that upon the raising of said chute element motion having an arcuate component is imparted to a second portion of said lever element, a guiding track axially aligned with the axis of the lower portion of said chute, a first block slidably disposed upon said track, said first block having a recess therein, a second block slidably engaged within said recess and slidably connected to said second portion of said lever element, a button-engaging member pivotally mounted upon said first block, said second block having means imparting pivotal motion to said button-engaging means upon executing sliding motion with respect to said first block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,079,968 White Dec. 2, 1913 1,903,269 Ross et al. Mar. 28, 1933 1,940,229 Rawnsley Dec. 19, 1933 2,597,912 Troll May 27, 1952 2,768,594 Troll Oct. 30; 1956 2,918,885 Broderson Dec. 29, 1959 

